Switch-stand.



No. 846,062. PATENTE D MAR. 5, 1907. P. W. SNOW.

SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10,1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

F. W. SNOW.

SWITCH STAND. APPLIOATXON FILED NOV. 10, 1906.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2 @QMQ/M 53 110031 loz UNITED STATEfd PATENT OFFICE FREDWILLIAM SNOW, OF HILLBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD EQUIPMENTCOMPANY, OF MAHWAII, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

.Speeification of Letters ZPa'tent.

Application filed November 10,1906. Serial No. 34Z 809x To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, FRED WiLrmM Snow, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Hillburn, in the county of ltockland, in the State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Stands, of which the following is a specilico tion, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof. I

in automatic switch-stands, which are designed to be operated from theswitch itself by the passage of a train therethrough, it is desirablethat the friction between the parts be reduced to a minimum, so as toprevent sticking, which might result in the partial operation of thestand and the leaving of the switch in an intermediate position, and asWell to prevent excessive wear upon the parts. At the same time themechanism must be such as to hold the switch firmly in either of itslimiting positions and to prv vent any disturbance of the switch ineither of these positions except through excessive force, such as thatproduced by the flange of a car-wheel passing between a rail and theswitch-tongue adjacent thereto. both of these considerations due weightin the production of switch-stands has been no easy task; and it is theobject of this invontion to provide a structure in which both of theseconsiderations find embodiment.

' of the shaft b-may be made square to receive a square sleeve 0, aroundwhich a collar d fits, so as to have vertical motion with respect to thesleeve. A handle 6 may be provided to .turn the shaft 1), and therebyturn the switch,

the connections between theswitch and the shaftb being preferably suchas will move the switch from one of its limiting positions to To gi ve Iproper, Which is not illustrated. The'uppcr portion the other of itslimiting positions by turning the shaft 1) through a quarter of arevolution. in this way the yardman may operate the switch at pleasure.l\ormally, however, the switch is held firmly in one or its limitingpositions by means of mechanism presently to be described, the collar(15 being squared on its lower end to engage a correspondinglysquaredportion of said mechanism, and therefore before the shaft 1) can beturned by the yardman the collar a must be raised from ei'igagcmcnt withsaid mechanism. The handle (2, which may be bifurcated and secured tothe sleeve 0 by means of a boltj, is provided for this purpose withdepending links it, which are secured to the collar d and serve towithdraw the same from its engage ment with the other mechamsm referredto upon the rafsing of said lever e. 'l he latter is normally holdfastened down by means of any suitable device, such a projection i,through. which a suitable padlock may be passed. in this position thesquared portion of the collar 11 engages a -orrospimdinglyrecessedport.on ol a block proi'ided upon the lower end of the shalt b and beingrotatable in the frame a of the switch-stand. This block li' constitutesa part of the mech- {LDLSJH for normally holding the rotatable shaft 0,and therefore the snitclnin astationary position that is, in one of itslimiting positions-- and for pcrnntting the same to be movedautomatically by the application of excessive force upon the snitch orswitchtongue. This mechanism includes a suitable member or hearing it,adapted to press against the block It to hold the same stationcry andyet to permit the same to be moved with a minimum of friction. 'lhisrotatable member or hearing preferably journaled in a bar 1, which ismovably mounted in the frame a of the stand and with which springs or,also mounted in said frame, cooperate to hold the bearing u firmlyagainst the block 7c. In order to hold the block k stationary, saidblock is provided with a recess 12, in which the rotatable bearingengages when the block is in such a position as to bring the switch orswitcl'i-tongue into one of its limiting positions. There are preferablyfour of such recesses,which are separated by projections to,

.substantially ninety degrees apart, and the recesses are conformedsubstantially to the niechsnis n is arc Of a circle in. order to fitWell upon the bearing n, which is preferably circulsr.

In operation the SWitch-stsnd is located beside the switch in the usualmanner, and, as was pointed out hcreinbefore, the ynri'lninn may operatethe some at will by raising the handle 0 to disengage the collar (1,from the block it i'l'hen, hmrover, the handle c is locked by means ofits engagement ith the projection i, the sh lf i) cnnonly be rotatedwith the block s will be ell'ccteii when sn'llicient force nnpcrtod tothe switchtongue, as by :1. train pa 3 in the right :tion, so that thel'lsngos upon the car-r will pass bet/Worm the switch-tongue and itsm'ljsccnt mil. fore the 1 passes orerthe switch in its norma position.(l ndc cateol g. i l l hen cssivo force is impartc th h-tcngno and fromthe switclvtongue througn the shalt to the blocls' it", the shaft:mdjfloclr will be rotated, one of the projections w upon the blocknoting upon the rotatable hearing it in such it way (L3 to turn saidbearing and at the sonic tnne'to move the bar 0 sway frmn the shitlt,the inn 0 yielding throngh its springs-n.

It will be clear that the hearing u, em braced as it always is in itsnormal position by two of the projections w, will hold the block is, andtl'ierelfore the shaft 5, together with the switcln vcry 'lirinly intheir proper positions and will prevent the some from be:- ing turned,moved, rotated, or otherwise disturbed, except through the applicationof excessive force, and it will also be clenr that "when such force isapplied to operate the stand automatically the parts will move upon eachother wi thon exce sive friction and the disadvantageous consequenceswhich result therefrom.

Modifications in the construction and operation of the parts now be madewithout departing from the spirit of'thc invention,

1 which is therefore not limitcd to the meclninism shown and describedherein for realizing the some.

I claim as my inrention 1. In it switch-stand, the combination oi itrotatable. shaft, it her yielding at both ends and acting against theshalt, and rotntnblc moans npon the bar operating between the bar andshalt and adopted to hold the shaft stationery.

2. in n switch-stand, the combination of it rotatable shalt, at bar\;'icldingl hold at each end and acting against the shaft, and s,rotstoble member on the bar operating betwcon the bar and shaft.

3. In it switch-stand, the combination of n rotatable shaft, :1bar-spring nctuntcd at each end and acting against the shaft, and arotatable member on-thc bar operating between the bar and shaft.

ng over the switch rotatable shaft, :1 block at. in s switch-stand, thecombination of s rotatable sho l't, a bar yielding at each end,rotatable member, and "means on the to embrace said member.

5.111 n switclcstnnd, the combination of s rotntsble sl'iel't, nyielding bar having s pro jecting curved rotating; member centre-lthereon and embraced by the strait.

o. in n snitch-stand, the combination of n .hle shaft, n yielding barhaving pro-- iccung, curved rotating member, s spring each evil. of thebar to press the men against re shift, and means on the shalt toznnbrijtcc mi 4 WlHlJOF.

7. ll. i sin shin rot-cubic shaft, :4. bin f'ylLi-h.

:ibic onnnbci the uh the r o. in c c? and, the combination. c rotatableshalt, ov our yielding at both and n roller ournslcd centrally upon tue"or and adopted to hold the shalt stationary or v to reduce liictionwhen the shnlt moves.

9. in sswitch-stimd, the corn binntion of n rota-table shaft, each end,a roller journnlcd the bar and yieldingly held against the shaft by thesprings and adopted to hold "tho shaft stationary and to reduce frictionwhen the shalt moves.

centrnlly' upon 10. in n switclnstsnd, the combination c a rotatableshalt, a bar, at roller central up n. the bar, and spring at each end ofthe hon. to press the roller against the shaft.

11. In a switch-stand, the combination of rotatable shaft, 9. blockthereon having recess, a. bar "yielding at both ends, and roller centralupon the bin adopted to engngc in the recess to hold the shaftstationary to reduce the friction when the shaft rot 12. In aSWllLGlkSifiiHil, the combination or's. rotatable shaft, at blockthereon braving four recesses, bar yielding at both ends, it rollercentral upon the bar and adopted to ogs. the recesses one at 2 time tohold t stationary and to reduce friction wshnit rotates.

3. in a. switclrstnnd, the combination. oi rotatable shaft, a blockthereon having it recess, and bur, roller upon the our sud moons itieach end of the bar to hols the roller yieldin'gly against the block.

14. in it switch-stand, the combination of thereon having recess, a bar,a roller central upon the bar, and a spring at each end of the bin topress the roller zignii'ist the block.

15. In a. switclnstnnd, the combinstion means for opcrntivcly.connecting the with the switch, a block thereon adopted to rotate in thestone, means to lock tne first? named means and block together, a. ti?yielding at both ends, and it rotatable ment ber upon the bar andadapted to hold the block stationary and to reduce friction when theblock moves.

16. In a switch-stand, the combination of means for operativelyconnecting the stand with the switch, a block thereon having a recessand rotatable in the stand, means to lock the first-named means andblock togethcr, a bar having a spring at each end, a

roller central upon the bar, said roller normally resting in the recessto hold the block stationary.

17. In a switch-stand, the combination of a bar-spring actuated at bothends, operative connections for a switch, a rotatable mem- I 5 by andthrough said means and operative 20 connections or automatically throughsaid operative connections and rotatable member.

This specification signed and witnessed this 23d day ofOctober, Av D.1906.

FRED WILLIAM SNOW.

In presence of ALFRED W. KIDDLE,

LUoIUs E. VARNEY.

